Lifelong treatment with blood thinners is unlikely to have survival benefits for most patients with unexplained clots
August 3, 2023 - More than 750,000 Canadians will have an unexplained vein blood clot, known as venous thrombosis. Guidelines suggest that these people take blood thinners for life to prevent a second clot, however, the tradeoffs between the benefits, risks and ... |
Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 13 CIHR grants worth more than $7 million
July 21, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in 13 new projects awarded more than $7 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). |
Examining CAR-T therapy, person by person
June 5, 2023 - Who responds better to CAR-T therapy? Men or women? What dose of the therapy works best? |
Sex of blood donor has no effect on recipient survival
April 12, 2023 - A large clinical trial of more than 8,700 patients published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the sex of a donor has no effect on the survival of recipients of red blood cell transfusions. |
Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 15 CIHR grants worth more than $8.4 million
February 3, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in 15 new projects awarded more than $8.4 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). |
Why more patients are taking a front seat in medical research
January 27, 2023 - After undergoing surgery herself, Gurlie Kidd was so interested in work on a team studying “prehabilitation” for frail patients undergoing surgery, that she got involved. |
Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital co-lead $39M Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium
January 19, 2023 - The new Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium, co-led by The Ottawa Hospital, aims to transform Canada’s clinical trials landscape by removing barriers, streamlining approvals, enhancing support and facilitating the engagement and ... |
Made-in-Canada approach enhancing access to groundbreaking CAR-T cancer therapy
January 19, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are partnering with colleagues across the country to expand access to new technology that turns patients’ immune cells into super-charged cancer-killers. |
Clinical trial will test promising cell therapy for septic shock
January 19, 2023 - Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre was awarded $1.6 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Trials Fund to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in patients with septic shock. |
How The Ottawa Hospital is partnering with patients to transform research and health care
October 24, 2022 - As an elementary school teacher with a rare metabolic disease, Ottawa resident Maureen Smith has inspired not only her students, but also hundreds of doctors, researchers and health policy experts. |
How TOH and OHRI are leading the way in patient engagement in research
August 3, 2022 - The Ottawa Hospital and OHRI have had unique success in facilitating and supporting patient engagement in research, with an increasing number of patient-oriented projects undertaken every year. |
“Dream team” of researchers tackles leading cause of vision loss
July 27, 2022 - Dr. Catherine Tsilfidis has assembled a world-class team to bring discoveries with game-changing potential to patients with retinal disease |
Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 19 CIHR grants worth more than $12 million
July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, ... |
First made-in-Canada CAR-T cell therapy for cancer shows promise in clinical trial
June 17, 2022 - More than a dozen people with cancer who had exhausted all treatment options are alive and cancer-free today thanks to a pioneering Canadian clinical trial of a highly personalized kind of immunotherapy. |
Ottawa Hospital researchers awarded $1.85M from Stem Cell Network
May 12, 2022 - Four research teams at The Ottawa Hospital have been awarded a total of $1.85 million to harness stem cells and regenerative medicine to develop new therapies for septic shock, bone and joint conditions, and newborn lung damage, while also ... |
Drilling down to improve CAR T therapy
May 4, 2022 - Dr. Dean Fergusson and his team are drilling down into clinical trial data, which is normally reported at an aggregate level, at the individual patient level to get more information about who benefits most from CAR T therapy and under what ... |
Study explores patient engagement in lab research
January 6, 2022 - A study found that engaging patients in laboratory research is possible, and can benefit both the patients and the researchers. |
Infusing new life into blood transfusion research
November 15, 2021 - Meet Dr. Dean Fergusson — winner of the Grimes Career Achievement Award |
Making every blood transfusion count
November 12, 2021 - Dr. Dean Fergusson is receiving The Ottawa Hospital’s Grimes Career Achievement Award for trailblazing research that is saving lives and blood around the world |
Study establishes bleeding risk with long-term use of blood thinners for life-threatening clots
October 20, 2021 - A new systematic review and meta-analysis now provides the best data yet on the long-term risks and consequences of bleeding with different blood thinners. |
Major study finds convalescent plasma doesn’t help seriously ill COVID-19 patients
September 29, 2021 - A randomized controlled trial involving more than 900 patients has found that convalescent plasma does not reduce the risk of intubation or death for COVID-19 patients. |
$2.4 M grant to help researchers develop gene and cell therapies for a leading cause of blindness
September 15, 2021 - A team led by Dr. Catherine Tsilfidis has received $2.4 M from the Ontario Research Fund to develop treatments for retinal diseases, a leading cause of blindness. |
Full-dose blood thinners help moderately ill COVID-19 patients
August 23, 2021 - Two Canadian-led studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that full-dose blood thinners help moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but not critically ill patients. |
Nothing about me, without me: Engaging patients in clinical trials
August 13, 2021 - It seems obvious – blindingly so – that patients, traditionally the subjects of clinical trials, should be involved as partners from the beginning. The benefits for patients are clear – an increased sense of control and the ability to learn about ... |
Hold the ice: study shows no benefit during kidney cancer surgery
May 19, 2021 - A clinical trial shows that contrary to popular belief, renal hypothermia doesn’t actually improve kidney function after kidney cancer surgery. |
Grateful COVID-19 patient gives back by participating in research
April 13, 2021 - Sharon Charlebois doesn’t remember much about the 25 days she spent at The Ottawa Hospital fighting a severe case of COVID-19 in January 2021. Now that she’s recovering at home with her husband, some memories come back to her in flashes. |
One small step for blood cancer patients, one giant step for Canadian cancer patients of all stripes
February 25, 2021 - The Canadian-Led Immunotherapies in Cancer (CLIC) research program is building Canada’s capacity for innovation in CAR-T therapy, with support from BioCanRx, The Ottawa Hospital, BC Cancer and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research |
Experimental stem cell therapy a potential weapon against COVID-19
February 1, 2021 - Drs. Duncan Stewart, Shane English, Dean Fergusson and colleagues have launched a clinical trial to test MSCs in people with severe COVID-19. |
Bone-modulating drugs can be given less often during cancer treatment, reducing side-effects and saving time and money
November 28, 2020 - When cancer spreads to the bones, it can cause pain, reduce mobility and increase the risk of fractures. Bone modulating drugs can help, but a new study suggests that to maximize the value of these drugs, it may be better to give them less often. |
Blueprint Excelerator helps move discoveries from the bench to the bedside
November 6, 2020 - The Blueprint Translational Research Group was established in 2016 at The Ottawa Hospital, in collaboration with the Ottawa Methods Centre. Co-led by Dr. Dean Fergusson and Dr. Manoj Lalu, Blueprint developed an innovative model called the ... |
Fewer hospital visits, safer care, less cost: study changing breast cancer treatment around the world
October 15, 2020 - A new study published in Annals of Oncology shows that a drug commonly used to prevent infections in breast cancer patients can safely be given less often, meaning fewer hospital visits, fewer side effects and reduced treatment costs. |
Hold the blood: world-first clinical trial could cut transfusions nearly in half for blood cancer patients
September 23, 2020 - Regular red blood cell transfusions are a reality of life for many people with blood cancer. But now, a world-first clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has found that blood cancer patients don’t need nearly as many blood ... |
The Ottawa Hospital and uOttawa launch new cancer immunotherapy research projects with funding from BioCanRx
September 22, 2020 - BioCanRx, Canada’s Immunotherapy Network, today announced funding of $10M for 14 cancer immunotherapy research projects and eight core and biomanufacturing facilities across the country. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and the University ... |
The Ottawa Hospital awarded six CIHR grants worth $2.6 million
September 7, 2020 - Could a common diabetes drug help prevent ovarian cancer? Can a tailored screening program help prevent eye disease in immigrants? Is sepsis different in females versus males, and if so, can this help us develop better treatments? These are just ... |
The Ottawa Hospital awarded $4.7 million for COVID-19 research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
June 25, 2020 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $4.7 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for four research projects that could transform our understanding of COVID-19 and ... |
Could blood plasma shore up our COVID defenses?
June 5, 2020 - A team led by Dr. Alan Tinmouth and Dr. Dean Fergusson is part of a collaboration aiming to settle the long-standing question of whether “convalescent” blood plasma from recovered patients can be used to treat actively sick ones. |
COVID-19 research moving at ‘lightning speed’, thanks to generous community support
May 8, 2020 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are working around the clock to advance more than 50 potentially life-saving research projects to support the world-wide effort to find better ways to treat and prevent COVID-19. Now, nine of these projects have ... |
Researchers and research staff honoured for outstanding work in cancer clinical trials, emergency medicine, cell sorting and tissue collection
April 29, 2020 - A number of outstanding researchers and research teams have been honoured through The Ottawa Hospital’s Excellence Awards program for 2020. They include the Rethinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) program, Senior Clinical Research Associate in ... |
Clinical trial to test plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients as possible treatment
April 28, 2020 - Researchers, clinicians and patients at The Ottawa Hospital will be contributing to the global effort to determine if plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 (called convalescent plasma) could be an effective treatment for actively ... |
Harnessing stem cells and regenerative medicine to fight COVID-19
April 23, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have been awarded $490,000 from the Stem Cell Network for two research projects that could help in the fight against COVID-19. These peer-reviewed grants are part of an overall ... |
Researchers join the fight against COVID-19
April 2, 2020 - As hospitals and communities band together to fight COVID-19, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are harnessing their unique expertise and resources to help. |
The Ottawa Hospital awarded nine grants worth $5.6 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research
February 3, 2020 - How can we treat depression when nothing else is working? How can heart growth be both good and bad? How can we increase patient participation in clinical trials? These are just a few of the big questions that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital ... |
Older blood just as good as fresh in critically ill children
January 10, 2020 - A large international clinical trial conducted in critically ill children has shown that fresh red cell transfusions (stored for seven days or less) are no better than older red cells (stored for up to 25 days). |
Ottawa a “hotbed of patient partnerships in research”
September 27, 2019 - The Ontario SPOR Support Unit’s summer newsletter showcases how Ottawa has become a “hotbed of patient partnerships in research.” Three stories demonstrate how researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are partnering with patients and caregivers to ... |
The promise of CAR-T therapy for cancer: meta-analysis shows the big picture
August 14, 2019 - CAR-T therapy, which uses a patient’s own genetically modified immune cells, is one of the most exciting advances in cancer treatment. To get a big picture view of the field, Drs. Manoj Lalu and Dean Fergusson led a team that analyzed data from ... |
Golfer credits Ottawa study for quick recovery after lung cancer surgery
June 4, 2019 - Marie Lapointe took part in a pilot study at The Ottawa Hospital aimed at testing whether a home-based exercise program could help older people better prepare for surgery |
Clinical trials offer strong foundation for better patient care
May 16, 2019 - Clinical trials are an important step toward developing new treatments and learning more about diseases and conditions. In honour of International Clinical Trials Day, read how some of the researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are making huge ... |
Guidelines can help patients avoid unnecessary blood transfusions
April 15, 2019 - Dr. Dean Fergusson played a lead role in an important set of guidelines for patient blood management published in JAMA. |
Clinicians at The Ottawa Hospital launch 14 innovative projects to improve health-care delivery, thanks to funding from TOHAMO and The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute
March 22, 2019 - The Ottawa Hospital Academic Medical Organization (TOHAMO) has awarded $1.169 million in Innovation Grants to 14 teams, with supporting funds provided by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. |
Patients and clinical trial experts key to upcoming made-in-Canada CAR-T clinical trial
March 1, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa are known around the world for their expertise in designing and leading clinical trials, and they're now applying this knowledge to create a made-in-Canada approach for CAR-T ... |
Researchers to advance science and improve health with new CIHR funding
February 14, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, are playing a lead role in nine new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). These projects will advance science and improve health in ... |
Trio of BMJ papers to impact how clinical research is performed
January 9, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa played important roles in three papers recently published in The BMJ (British Medical Journal) that are expected to impact how clinical research is conducted around the world. The ... |
Engaging patients in research every step of the way
November 28, 2018 - CMAJ's new supplement on engaging patients in health research features commentaries led by Drs. Dean Fergusson, Simon Hatcher and Christian Vaillancourt, as well as 14 other teams affiliated with Ontario’s SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU). As ... |
World’s largest transfusion study in cardiac surgery changes practice globally
September 18, 2018 - A massive study led Drs. Dean Fergusson, David Mazer and Richard Whitlock found that using lower hemoglobin thresholds to transfuse red blood cells during and after heart surgery is just as safe as using traditional thresholds. Hemoglobin is a ... |
$1.7 million to advance research on colon cancer, brain development, kidney disease and severe fluid loss
July 20, 2018 - Four research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $1.7 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Their projects will advance ... |
Researchers push for better patient engagement
June 27, 2018 - Research improves patient care, and a growing movement aims to engage and involve patients in the research process from start to finish. However, little is known about what meaningful patient engagement in research looks like. To find out, Dr. ... |
Dr. Dean Fergusson chosen as President-Elect of international clinical trial society
June 20, 2018 - Dr. Dean Fergusson was elected President-Elect of the Society for Clinical Trials. This organization works internationally to advance human health by advocating for the use of clinical trials, leading the development and dissemination of optimal ... |
Top Research Papers from The Ottawa Hospital 2015-2017
June 7, 2018 - Did you know that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital publish an average of four new scientific papers every single day? Our research is advancing science and improving health on a massive scale – both at home and around the world. The list below ... |
$870,000 to help develop stem cell treatments for septic shock, glaucoma, lung injury and muscle degeneration
May 9, 2018 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to human trials and therapies, thanks to five new peer-reviewed research grants from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medi |
Could stem cells repair the heart, fight infections, mend premature lungs, and heal the brain after stroke?
April 11, 2018 - Ottawa researchers closer to finding out, thanks to $999,900 from the Stem Cell Network
Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to human trials and therapies, thanks |
Blood transfusions in heart surgery: global study sets new standard
December 6, 2017 - A study co-led by Dr. Dean Fergusson found that using lower hemoglobin thresholds to transfuse red blood cells during and after heart surgery is just as safe as using traditional thresholds. Hemoglobin is a protein that delivers oxygen to the body’ |
Stem cells for septic shock: world-first trial establishes safety, sets stage for larger trial
November 2, 2017 - Stem cells are usually thought of as the building blocks of the body – able to give rise to all our cells and organs. But Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre, Dr. Duncan Stewart, Dr. Dean Fergusson and their colleagues are testing the idea that certain stem ... |
Does this liver surgery patient need a blood transfusion? New tool can help doctors decide
September 21, 2017 - Health care providers now have a new tool to help decide whether a liver surgery patient needs a blood transfusion, thanks to a study led by Drs. Guillaume Martel and Dean Fergusson. Liver surgery often involves major bleeding, and about one in ... |
Could stem cells heal premature lungs, fight infections, build muscles and strengthen bones?
May 25, 2017 - Ottawa researchers closer to finding out, thanks to $1.5 million from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO and the University of Ottawa are bringing discoveries made in the lab closer to huma |
The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million
May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc |
New approach to clinical trials could revolutionize cancer care
February 23, 2017 - Yasemin Heinbecker was a career diplomat used to working 10-hour days when she received a diagnosis last fall that stopped her busy life in its tracks. Like 25,000 other Canadian women every year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and ended up ... |
Ottawa researchers to play lead role in new cancer immunotherapy studies
February 15, 2017 - BioCanRx funds research into CAR-T and virus-infected cell therapy
Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa will play a lead role in cutting-edge research on cancer immunotherapy, thanks to five new peer-reviewed researc |
Researchers use rigorous approach to establish the strength of lab data to inform stem cell clinical trial
December 7, 2016 - While many exciting discoveries are made in laboratories every year, few ever become successful human treatments. This may be because often the decision to start a human trial is based on a few laboratory studies instead of considering all the av |
Three Ottawa-led stem cell trials get $2.2 million boost
November 23, 2016 - Ottawa researchers bring in half of clinical trial awards from Stem Cell Network
Could stem cells help the body recover from septic shock, heart attack and liver transplantation? Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa |
Ottawa team pioneers new approach for cancer clinical trials
September 28, 2016 - What is the most efficient way to answer the most important questions to improve care for cancer patients? Drs. John Hilton, Mark Clemons and Dean Fergusson got a group of Ottawa researchers together to answer this question and came up eight ... |
The Ottawa Hospital awarded $27 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research for 13 research projects
August 19, 2016 - Thirteen teams at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded more than $27 million in the latest round of research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Four of The Ottawa Hospital’ |
Maternal and child health research gets $9.8-million boost
August 19, 2016 - The Ottawa Hospital ranks well above national average in most recent competition from Canadian Institutes of Health Research
If folic acid prevents birth defects during the first trimester, should it be taken throughout pregnancy? Dr. Mark ... |
The Ottawa Hospital General Campus to be a test ground to compare two rehydration fluids
August 11, 2016 - Starting August 2016, a pilot study at the General Campus of The Ottawa Hospital will help find out which of two liquids is the best to replace lost fluids in hospitalized patients.
A healthy person’s bodyweight is about 60 percent water. How |
$4.2M grant to advance development of next-generation regenerative therapies for vascular disease
July 13, 2016 - Dr. Duncan Stewart has been awarded $4.2M from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to advance our understanding of vascular disease and develop next-generation regenerative therapies. Dr. Stewart and his team have already initiated |
Researchers find unexpected association between younger donor age, female sex and transfusion outcomes
July 11, 2016 - A large Canadian study has shown a link between blood donor characteristics and transfusion recipients’ outcomes. This is the first study to suggest that red blood cell transfusions from young donors and from female donors may be associated with |
Hot off the press! New edition of EPIgram just published
March 23, 2016 - Are your submitted manuscripts the best they can be? Learn how publications officer Kelly Cobey can help get your manuscripts published faster and with fewer revisions by reading the latest edition of EPIgram. Published by the Ottawa Hospital Res |
Many prostate cancer patients saved from unnecessary treatments and side effects
February 29, 2016 - Low-risk patients increasingly undergoing regular monitoring rather than immediate treatment
Of the approximately 24,000 Canadians diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, about half have a slow-growing form that poses little risk to their he |
When drugs don’t work: research spares kidney transplant patients from unnecessary risks
January 21, 2016 - Ottawa Resident Jim Ward, who received a kidney transplant from his brother in 2001, took part in an important eight-year study that showed a commonly prescribed drug doesn’t work nearly as well as previously thought and could potentially harm k |
Controversial prostate cancer screening can be improved by repeating abnormal tests
December 10, 2015 - For more than 20 years, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test has been used to help screen for prostate cancer, but in recent years, some task forces have called for this blood test to be abandoned because it leads to many unnecessary biopsies. No |
Drugs commonly used in kidney transplant patients not as effective as previously thought
October 22, 2015 - Kidney transplants saves lives and dramatically improve quality of life, but transplant recipients often must take dozens of pills a day to keep their new kidney functioning and prevent complications. Now, three new studies led by researchers at The |
Clinical epidemiology newsletter highlights IQ@TOH, a new initiative to harness research to improve quality of care
September 23, 2015 - The sixth edition of the Clinical Epidemiology Program’s EPIgram newsletter is now available, including a cover story on IQ@TOH, a new initiative to harness research to improve quality of care at The Ottawa Hospital. The newsletter also features Dr. |
Dr. Greg Knoll awarded $3.9 million to create and translate knowledge in kidney transplantation
September 16, 2015 - Dr. Greg Knoll is one of a seven scientists at The Ottawa Hospital recently awarded Foundation Grants by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Knoll’s team will receive $3.9 million over seven years to undertake patient-centred research rel |
Dr. Bernard Thébaud’s team receives $3.2 million to develop stem cell therapy for babies with lung disease
August 19, 2015 - Dr. Bernard Thébaud’s team is one of seven at The Ottawa Hospital recently awarded Foundation Grants by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Thébaud’s team has received $3.2 million over seven years to develop three different kinds of ... |
Are generic immunosuppressants safe and effective?
July 15, 2015 - That is the question that Dr. Greg Knoll set out to research when he was asked to debate the topic during the 2014 annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Transplantation. Together with research fellow Dr. Amber Molnar, Dr. Dean Fergusson and other |
$1.5M grant could improve care for trauma patients and save $10M per year
June 30, 2015 - Drs. Christian Vaillancourt and Ian Stiell have been awarded $1.5M from the Ontario SPOR (Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research) Support Unit to evaluate a strategy to reduce unnecessary immobilization of trauma patients by paramedics. Currently, pa |
Tender Loving Research helping people requiring blood transfusions
March 25, 2015 - The latest edition of our Tender Loving Research video blog features Dr. Dean Fergusson explaining the motivation behind his research on blood transfusions. More than a million blood units are transfused in Canada every year, saving countless lives, |
Old blood as good as fresh in patients with life threatening illnesses
March 17, 2015 - Just like milk and many other foods, blood used for transfusions is perishable. But contrary to popular belief, new research shows that blood stored for three weeks is just as good as fresh blood — findings published today in the New England Journal |
Most clinical trials of 'stalled drugs' do not report results
March 13, 2015 - Lots of potentially useful medical information is getting lost. Researchers from McGill University, The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa discovered this when they looked for results of clinical trials of “stalled drugs” – drugs that showe |
